The NFL preseason is officially over, and boy, is there a lot to talk about. The Cleveland Browns dominated headlines with a quarterback battle that seemingly took a turn for the worse every other day. But that was just the tip of the iceberg; in fact, this preseason featured a lot of good, and gave quite a few teams a lot of optimism going into the season.
No team has more preseason hype than the Dallas Cowboys right now — and deservingly so, considering how Jerry Jones revamped this roster. There’s a whole lot more to dive into from the last three weeks, so here are all the winners and losers from the 2026 preseason as rosters get finalized and Week 1 approaches.
Winners
De’Zhaun Stribling cemented his role with the San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan has a new toy! And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the San Francisco 49ers, who were staring down the barrel of a debilitating receiver room after a rash of injuries. De’Zhaun Stribling not only proved that he was worth the Day 2 pick this spring, but also that he’s going to have a significant role with this offense starting in Week 1. That’s not only huge for this depleted receiver room, but Brock Purdy and the offense as a whole.
Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are at the end of their careers, George Kittle was just activated off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and Christian McCaffrey can’t do it all himself. This offense is in good hands with Stribling’s big preseason. Think of the impact that Emeka Egbuka had with Tampa Bay last year; if that is Stribling's rookie ceiling, the 49ers won’t have any problems with their offense this year.
Pittsburgh Steelers get clarity with quarterback room
Aaron Rodgers is the unquestioned starter in 2026, but the Pittsburgh Steelers might feel a little bit more comfortable with their quarterback situation going into next year. Drew Allar had a really strong preseason, making him the likely frontrunner to take over the job once Rodgers retires. Will Howard, on the other hand, didn’t look great. But they could potentially find a trade partner, and even if they have to carry four quarterbacks this year, it will be worth it as they finally have a clear path to finding stability at the most important position — whether that's Allar or someone in the draft.
Zavion Thomas trending up is good news for Chicago Bears receiver depth
It was somber news for the Chicago Bears that second-year wideout Luther Burden III would miss the start of the 2026 campaign. But those tears can now be wiped away after Zavion Thomas’ big preseason finale shows Chicago has found some unexpected depth in their receiver room. With the departure of D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze solidified the No. 1 receiver role. But without Burden, the Bears needed someone to step up as a reliable option.
Thomas solidified his roster spot in the Bears’ preseason finale with five catches, 140 receiving yards and a touchdown. Ben Johnson will have a fun time getting him involved in the offense, and the best part is that when Burden comes back, this room will look eerily similar to what Johnson had in Detroit with three reliable, speedy perimeter weapons.
Losers
Cleveland Browns
I wish there were a more descriptive way to say this, but honestly, this franchise as a whole is simply a loser after the preseason. Sure, they had some good moments, but it was a slap in the face when Todd Monken turned to Deshaun Watson once again as the starter for the 2026 season. Nothing good comes from that, truthfully: The Browns aren’t going to re-sign Watson, and they don’t really need to win this year either. This was a last-ditch effort to scavenge whatever they can get from this failed deal. The problem is, it holds the rest of the offense back.
Whether Shedeur Sanders is the best quarterback for this team or not is irrelevant. What matters is Sanders needs this year to prove whether the Browns can trust him with their future or whether they need to already pivot to the 2027 draft class. Sanders will probably get the chance to play at some point this season, but not naming him the starter is pointless when starting Watson means absolutely nothing other than a short-term solution — if that.
Washington Commanders offensive line problems could be ominous
The Washington Commanders spent way too much money this offseason and have way too many expectations this season to be held back by such a shoddy offensive line. But they lost Laremy Tunsil to a torn bicep, and now they’re scrambling to make sure Jayden Daniels’ blind side is adequately protected. That’s not to say that unit will be horrible, but this preseason wasn’t an optimistic sign at all. I know the 41-3 loss against the Baltimore Ravens doesn’t say much with 41 players rested for that game, but the Ravens’ first-team defense manhandling the Commanders' front five does.
Daniels and Washington were one win away from reaching the Super Bowl two seasons ago, and last year injuries held both of them back. This year, the Commanders spent the most money in the league to ensure they had a winning roster. It would be unfortunate for an early injury to Tunsil to upend all of that work.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback situation is worse than we thought
At this point, Atlanta Falcons fans are begging Michael Penix Jr. to be ready for Week 1. If Kevin Stefanski and this offense have to turn to Tua Tagovailoa, well, godspeed to this season. Tagovailoa looked horrible all preseason, which is tough considering this team is a competent quarterback away from contending in the NFC South. For now, things are very ominous under center.
Tagovailoa fumbled multiple snaps during the preseason, and if he can’t even do the simple things right in low-pressure situations, the Falcons won’t be able to trust him when it matters. The Miami Dolphins look better and better for ridding themselves of Tagovailoa with each snap he takes, and the Falcons are realizing why adding him wasn’t the solution they thought it would be.
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